afterburner
noun
af·ter·burn·er
| \ -ˌbər-nər
\
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Definition of afterburner
1
: a device incorporated into the tailpipe of a turbojet engine for injecting fuel into the hot exhaust gases and burning it to provide extra thrust
2
: a device for burning or catalytically destroying unburned or partially burned carbon compounds in exhaust (as from an automobile)
Examples of afterburner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Texas A&M product was in eighth place after 400 meters and in sixth by 600 meters, but Brazier saved the afterburners for the final 200 meters of the race. — Michael Shapiro, SI.com, "Donavan Brazier Storms From the Back to Win Thrilling Diamond League 800m," 30 Aug. 2019 Rookie Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi turned on the afterburners, running a punt back 86 yards for a TD. — cleveland.com, "Cleveland Browns’ Freddie Kitchens handling expectations after blowing out Redskins: Crowquill," 11 Aug. 2019 In this tightly packed big impacter, director Michael Bay kicks in all the afterburners with turbo-thrust, quick-cut momentum. — Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Armageddon': THR's 1998 Review," 1 July 2019 The use of afterburners to harass the American aircrew marks an escalation over previous incidents over the Baltic and Black Seas. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "U.S. Accuses Russian Fighter of 'Unsafe Intercept' Over Black Sea," 5 Nov. 2018 James turned on the afterburners from about three-quarters court and somehow smacked this shot away without fouling the vet, keeping the game deadlocked at 89 apiece. — Charles Curtis, For The Win, "The Block and The Crotch Punch: The 9 most memorable Cavaliers-Warriors moments," 31 May 2018 In footage released late Thursday, J-15 fighter jets were shown taking off and landing in the darkness, their afterburners glowing. — Fox News, "China aircraft carrier pilots complete first night missions," 25 May 2018 In this tightly packed big impacter, director Michael Bay kicks in all the afterburners with turbo-thrust, quick-cut momentum. — Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Armageddon': THR's 1998 Review," 1 July 2019 The use of afterburners to harass the American aircrew marks an escalation over previous incidents over the Baltic and Black Seas. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "U.S. Accuses Russian Fighter of 'Unsafe Intercept' Over Black Sea," 5 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'afterburner.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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